Attachment for printing-presses.



F. H. OWEN. ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING PRESSES. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1, 1911.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

64mm QM p m QM I after/76 6'.

FRANK H. OWEN, 0F GOLTON, CALIFORNIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR PRIN TIN G-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 1, 1911.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913. Serial No. 641,827.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. OWEN, a citizen of the United States, "esiding at Colton, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented a new and useful Attachment for Printingresses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to an attachment for printing presses, being particularly a gripper attachment for holding the paper against the platen during the op eration of making an impression on the paper from the type, and one of the main objects of the present invention is to produce an attachment of the character described in which the grippers may be quickly. and accurately adjusted without the use of extra tools or wrenches.

Another object of the present invention is to produce a device of the character described in which the grippers may be either independently or simultaneously adjusted with a great degree of accuracy for the purposes desired.

Another object of the present invention is to produce a device of the character described of simple and economical construe tion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter from the following description.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a platen for a printing press, showing the manner of mounting the gripping devices thereon. Fig. 2 is a face View of the platen and the grippers mounted thereon shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged face View of the attachment, showing the grippers mounted thereon. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one member of a clutch. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the other clutch member. Fig. 7 is an end View of the clutch member shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an end view of the clutch member shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line m -w Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line r -a Fig. 3.

The attachment comprises a frame 1 hav ing a stud 2 at each end thereof pivot-ally mounted in brackets 3 which extend outwardly from each side of the platen4. The rame 1 consists of an upper bar 5 and lower bar 6 joined at each end by cross bars 7 and joined at the central portion by cross bars 8. Mounted in the cross bars 7 and 8 are two longitudinally disposed shafts 9 alinement with each other, the outer end of the shafts 9 and 9 terminating in crank members 10,10 respectively. The central portion of each shaft is oppositely threaded, as indicated at 11 and 12, respectively. The inner end of the shaft 9 is squared, as inclicated at 13, upon which squared portion is slidably mounted a clutch member 14 having a groove 15 adapted to receive a pin 16 on a lever 17 pivoted to the lower bar 6 of the frame 1 by means of a pin or bolt, as indicated at 18. Handle means 19 are provided for the lever 17, the inner end of the handle means terminating in a stud 20 which projects into a curved slot 21 in the upper bar 5 of the frame 1. A depression 22 is formed in the end of the slot 21 so that when the le ver is shiftedinto the right hand end of the slot, from the position in which the lever is shown in Fig. 3, the stud 20 will engage in the depression 22 and prevent backward movement of the lever 17. The inner end of the shaft 9 is provided with a clutch member 23 secured to the shaft 9 by means of a pin 24 and has atoot-h or projection 25 adapted to engage in a recess 26 when the member 14 is moved toward the member 23 by means of the lever 17. Mounted on each shaft 9 and 9 is a block 27 threaded to engage the threads of the respective shafts and provided with a threaded stud 28 projecting outwardly therefrom upon which is mounted a flat finger or grip-per 29 and 29 which is held in place thereon by means of a nut 30. The lower end 31 of the gripper is squared off and rests upon an outwardly projecting flange 32 for the purpose of keeping the gripper from swinging on the stud 28.

It is understood that the frame above described is adapted to be mounted upon the ordinary platen found on the common printing press, the purpose of the fingers or grippers being to hold the paper flat against the platen during the operation of moving the platen toward the type to receive the imalso during the movement of the platen away from the type, thereby pre venting the paper from sticking to the type.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the grippers 29 and 29 shown in the position with relation to the platen, when the platen is in its lowest position, so that there is room between the grippers and the platen for the purpose of placing a sheet of paper 34 on the gage pins 35, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Ordinarily three gage pins are used, as shown in Fig. 2, two gage pins being placed to support the bottom of the sheet of paper, and a third gage pin at one side is used for the purpose of alining the paper to accurately receive the impression from the type. When three gage pins are used, as above described, only one gripper is used, as shown, being the gripper 29 at the left hand side of the frame 1, which gripper may be longitudinally adjusted by turning the crank 10, thereby moving the gripper 29 into the desired position. hen it is desirable to hold the sheet of paper by both grippers, the left hand gripper 29 may be independently adjusted by means of the crank 10, or the rig-ht hand gripper 29 may be independently adjusted by using the crank 10, or both grippers may be adjusted simultaneously by clutching the shafts 9 and 9 together by moving the lever 17 to the right, thereby bringing the clutch member 14; into engagement with the clutch member 23, after wh'ch either crank 10 or 10 may be operated to turn the shafts. The grippers 2'9 and 29 are held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of an arm 10 provided with a roller 41 which rides on a track 42, being held in engagement therewith by a coil spring 43 attached to the frame 1 and to the track 42, as shown. The frame 45 of the press is pivoted to the platen, as indicated at &6, which frame during the operation of printing has a swinging movement moving the platen in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. until the grippers 29 and 29 lie upon the sheet of paper on the platen, the continued forward movement of which brings the sheet of paper in contact with the type indicated at 17 on a chase indicated at 48.

What I claim is A gripper attachment for printing presses comp-rising a frame, a pair of oppositely threaded shafts revolubly mounted in said frame in alinement with each other, handle means on the outer end of each shaft, an interiorly threaded block on each shaft, a gripper carried on each block, aclutch mcm ber fixed to the inner end of one shaft, a clutch member slidably mounted on the adjacent end of the other shaft, said slidable clutch member having a circular groove therein, a lever pivotally mounted on said frame, and a pin on said lever adapted to engage the groove in said clutch member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angelcs, California, this 18th day of July, 1911.

FRANK H. OVEN. In presence of FRANK L. A. GRAHAM, ISABEL I'IALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, I). G. 

